h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'd always been led to believe he was from my home town of Bedford.

Maybe he's moved on. Certainly he was a local celebrity there for a while.

Born in Cheltenham, apparently.

Of course, he may have lived in Bedford for a time. Is there a ski facility there?

Yes, Bedfordshire is well known for its slopes

He may have lived there at the time. I can remember them featuring him on the news at the time. He wasn't our proudest son I hope.

I am very familiar with his exploits. In February 1988 I got a horrible ankle injury and during my convalescence at home there was not much else to do but watch the winter Olympics.
The other highlight was a bobsleigh team, rather famously from Jamaica.

Well occording to wikipedia he is 'associated' with Bedford. Hmmm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedford

Well he must have had something to do with us as there's plenty of internet links if you google 'eddie the eagle bedford'

You article is the most complementary thing I've ever seen written about him, I have to say.

Thanks Orcus

I think time has been kind to the Eagle - the other conversations attached to this entry seem to remember him fondly.

Maybe he served out his post-Calgary decline in Bedford? It could explain why you remember him a little differently. Any incidents come to mind in particular?

Not really, I just remember them featuring him on the news with a ski-jump training thing in his back garden. Having googled about now, I see that his parents lived in Bedford. Apparently he went back there when he went bankrupt.

I remember him in two ways really, I rather enjoyed the ski-jump thing. That is after all what the olympics is about in some ways. Remember the Surinam swimmer coming in slower than a granny down the local lanes session a few years back?

The other was the dreadful celebrity that was attached to him, I recall his efforts at a song being featured on Wogan's 80s chat show. Where he looked like a dork, sounded like a dork...

Quite a story anyway.

...and ahead of his time rereading that quickly.

Jade Goody et al. were long preceded by him now weren't they.

Interesting. I wonder if he's a candidate for the first 'reality' celebrity star?

Mind you, although there was a touch of the Jade Goody about him. Despite appearances in the ski-jump, he was actually far more talented than many would give him credit for.